Calling Starfield a massive game would be an understatement. With reportedly over 1,000 planets to explore, you’re inevitably going to need a place to store your Contraband, gather resources, and restock up on some essentials. That’s where the Starfield Outpost system comes in.
Outposts are integral structures in Starfield that serve as a base of operations for you, though, unlike the Constellation’s lodge, you’ll be the one building and designing these on different planets. You can build them nearly anywhere, and quite quickly at that, but the process can be overwhelming for first-timers, so here’s an easy-to-digest breakdown.
How To Build Outposts In Starfield
To build an outpost in Starfield, first head to the desirable planet where you wish to create the outpost. If you haven’t unlocked most skills yet, it’s recommended that you scan and pick a planet with good resources and a pleasant climate. At your desired spot, open up the scanner by pressing LB on Xbox or F on PC, then press the X button (Xbox) or the R button (PC) and that will prompt your character to implant an Outpost Beacon on the current planet.
Once that’s done, you’ll gain access to a menu within the outpost settings of your scanner. Through the menu, you can customize the surrounding area by planting resource extractors, decorations, storage units, and whatnot.
It’s likely that for your first outpost in Starfield, you won’t have enough materials on hand. Start using the Cutter in your inventory to gather some Aluminum, Lead, and Sealant, and that should get most of the outpost’s basic functioning units such as Cargo, Needed Power, and Total Power running.
After that, assign a crew to manage the place on a wage, and the products you gain from the outpost should sustain the site as well as yield some sweet profit for you to nab. Fallout 4 players who were neck deep in Settlement creation should feel right at home, and those daunted by the task shouldn’t be since managing Starfield’s outposts is far easier than picking one of those terrifying digi-locks.
How Many Outposts Can You Have In Starfield?
Initially, you can have only four outposts, but investing in the Planetary Habituation skill in the Science Tree can increase the cap to sixteen.
The Planetary Habituation skill also unlocks the ability to build outposts on planets with harsh climates. Every outpost you place will leave an indicator on the map showing you its exact location in the galaxy, and by selecting the outpost, you’ll be able to fast travel directly back to base in a jiffy, so this is a skill you’re definitely going to need down the line.
Best Locations For An Outpost In Starfield
Jemison in the Alpha Centauri is probably the best location for an outpost in Starfield, especially at the start. You’ll reach this planet early on in the game, and since it has ideal weather conditions, starting to learn outpost creation here would be more than ideal.
Callisto in the Sol system is another one of Starfield’s first best outpost locations. The area is accessible early and the planet is rich in reserves of Helium-3 and Iron, which you’ll be needing lots of throughout the game.
Other solid choices include Maheo II in the Maheo system, Kreet in the Narion system, and Nesoi in the Olympus system, since all of them give you just about everything except for Aluminum. For Aluminum I’d recommend heading over to Andraphon in the Narion star system as the planet has terrific weather conditions which make outpost management much easier.
